Thursday, 19 June 2014

Greetings from the Town of Chiseled Rock ...!! Well, this will most likely be the final post on anything '' Old & Nostalgic '' or rather Down Memory Lane stuffs for the year ... Ha,Ha.As this is a mainly Photographic Blog, some younger folks might find it a little boring & Old fashion. But its a fact of Life that the past plays an important role in shaping our present day and even the Future ... !!

This post is just an outlook into my present day Hobbies, Pastimes and Rendezvous with all things that I Loved and Missed during my younger days. Its my way of Living Life to the fullest and along the way, Share & Impart whatever experience in Life that I had with those who need it most, be they young or old. For even at my age I am stillLearning a thing or two almost everyday. For me its the simply Living Life the way its meant to be, '' Practical, Simplistic, Moderation & Contentment '' and always be at one with Nature, and that is my Philosophy in Life ... !!!

Not all folks are into the Retro thing, fair enough, as we are all humans and one man's food is another man's Poison ... Ha,Ha.But there's no denying that all of us at one time or another comes across a thing or a moment in time that reminds us of the Past ...Far out !!Some of us may keep just a single item or moment in time ( Be it good or bad ), while others like me simply love and treasure stuffs and recalls the days of yonder past ... Yee Haa !! I am glad to say that this trend is on the rise this past few years as folks begins to realize how simple, relax, reliable things were back then.

I shall begin with those Nostalgic stuffs that I still occasionally collect till today. From old straits settlements coins & notes to old records, watches , Airfix models, Mattel cars, Ming & Ching Porcelain , Chinese paintings , Clocks, old Amps & Turntables, old film cameras, Old antique Furniture, Advertising Memorabilia and so on. I am also an Antique Appraiser, so, if you have any questions as to the Value & Rarity of a certain items, please feel free to give me a call at : 019-7119019 .

Here's a latest update today this 21/6/2014. Guess what ? ... While in Malacca today ( Saturday ) , I bump into an Old Friend that I haven't seen for more than 30 years ...!! I have been in and out of Jonker street this past 15 years and have heard of a Pub named '' RINGO ''. After a few failed attempts to visit the place, I was shock to find that the owner and famous singer of the pub was no other than Ringo, an old friend of mine ...!! Boy! That was a surprise for me, since I have been Jamming lately and only last week a fellow Jam kaki mention his good name.

This guy is pure Talent all rolled in one !! Remember , when you're in Malacca on the weekends, please do drop by into '' Ringo 's Pub '' , just opposite The Geographer. I bet you won't be disappointed . This guy is also an Antique collector just like me .... Far Out !!

Besides listening to Old songs in Rustic Pubs and Lounges, I do Jam at the '' SANDMAN '' , every Tuesday & Wednesday ... !!

Let the journey begin .... '' A Trip Down Memory Lane '' & The stuffs and things that I collect.

The Modelling & Replica Kingdom :

The Monetary Media :

Remember, If you're new into this line, please beware of Fakes, especially those '' Tar Yang '' Silver Ching Dynasty Coins, as there are numerous of them floating around the market. Even the fabled 1/4 cent has been Faked as the value climb during the 80's and even so ...Now !! Do remember to buy from Genuine coins & stamps dealers. Better still from a family or friend who's parents collections. Well, you can always give me a call if you're not sure ... F.O.C. !! All you need to do is to treat me a cup of Black senggarang Coffee .... Ha,Ha !!

And now for all things related to the .... '' Photographic World ''. Other than some old cameras that I had used during my younger days , there are those that are Gorgeous and a truly works of art. Besides all this there is of course those all important ... '' FLIM '', either Negatives or Slides.

This were almost identical to what I once had .... !! Yes, during my peak I had over 70 odd vintage and old cameras. Most of them were sold off during my Depression Years .... Deng !!

Just like a number of other folks, I do love to collect Photographic Catalogs, Brochures, Leaflets, Posters, Magazines and Old Photographs ... Far Out Man !!

The one Photographic Magazine that has a profound impact on my
Imaginative & Creative Mind , without a doubt, has to be the .... '' MINOLTA
MIRROR ''.

And the real thing itself ....My First Slide Projector ( The Cabin Slide Projector ) and Camera and a the slide projector that I still use today '' The Kodak Carousel '' ... !!

Enough of the Photographic Rendezvous ... !! Now for the other of my pastimes & Hobbies. I will let the Pics tell the stories as I am running out of Finger Power ... Give me a cup of Tongkat Ali now !!

Most of the stuffs like coins, Notes, Fountain Pens, Watches are also for sale if you're interested. But my main line of Sale is still those that I classified as '' Antiques '' unlike those mention, as they comes under my category of '' Collectables ''.Here are some that is still available for sale , and it comes with proper Certification from the Salvage company itself. All the Antiques here were salvaged from local waters off the East Coast. Here's just a brief list of Bowls, Plates, Spoons, Yixing Teapot from the ''Xuande era ( 1540 ) to the'' Daoguang '' era ( 1820-1850 ) . Prices ranging from RM 500 to RM 5K for most of the items listed here. Give me a call if you're interested at : 019-7119019.

What would this world be like without '' ART '' ...? Imagine a world without forms, symmetry, strokes, colours, design or even lines ?The Human form itself is a wonderful work of ART ... Agree ...? Yes, art is indeed '' ART '' ...!! I am now mainly buying and appraising '' Chinese Art & Calligraphy ''. Got any old paintings or Calligraphy ?? Give me a call and lets talk things over . My H/P : 019-7119019.

Since my childhood days i was fascinated by the sweet sound of '' MUSIC ''. Be it Rock & Roll, Classical, sentimental or even Opera. I fell it love with bothe Music and those instruments or rather contraption that produces the very sound that we all hear. Since then , I have been into the Audio stuff and am still in it today. I am an Audiophile since my collage days and the Music I listen to are variable and colourful .... Do_ Re_ Me, Me_ Re_ Do !! As an old school Audiophile, I still believe that Analog or semi - Analog is the best way to really appreciate those wonderfully Sweet Mid Tones, and hencemy love affair with those Old Amps ...!! I have left out the Speakers, Tuners, Turntables & cables as they would have taken up more space and time. Maybe, in the near future I will write a short intro into the HI-FI world.

Here's a Pic of some of my Softwares or rather Records & Audiophile CD's ...!!

Finally, here are some of my past hobbies and pastimes that I will one of this day will make a comeback ... Yee Haa !!

Only a few of my friends here in B.P. and some in K.L. knew that I was into Motocross Racing during my collage years in K.L. I was with the then Rothman Motocross ( Enduro ) team. Those were truly wonderful times of my life .... Far Out !!

Some Bikes I used to own .... Broooooommmm !!

And some Roadstersof my days ... Back then owning a 100 c.c. Bike was already a dream come true for me. But with the advent of those SUZUKI twins, whose low bass rumbling exhaust soundwas just too much for bike lovers like me. I sold off my trail bike and enter into a Brave new world of Touring bikes ... Yahooo !!

As with most Bikers, each and everyone of us has a dream Bike that we would like to own. For many its either those Luxurious Harleys or Goldwings. But for me , my dream is a bike from the good old 60's , a '' Yamaha Twin '', Twin as in twin exhaust and 125 c.c. only. But this baby is not only Cool to ride on, its the sound from the twin exhaust that's the icing on the cake ... Yeee Paa !!

Yet another of my favorite pastime was without a doubt ... '' Fishing ''. Be it Salt or Fresh water fishing, I have done it all, including Prawn Fishing ..... Yikes !!

My all time favorite Fishing Reel was the '' ABU GARCIA 55 '' .... Still looking for one till today !!

And for Deep sea fishing it was always the old '' PENN '' 3 digit series of spinning reels .

Finally the other important part ... '' The Rods ''. Mine has always been those '' UGLY STICK '' series. Along withe some super lightweight Prawn rods and Accessories.

This truly are the Great Outdoors ... !!

Wow !! Looks like its gonna be another one of those 100 + post ... !! I will make it short with a Pictorial ebb to my Retro world ... Those favorite Small towns, Old streets, Old shops, Morning markets, Galleries, Antique shops, Kampungs , New Village, Fishing Villages and Railway stations. The very Places I make a date to visit every other weekends and Holidays. They are my Inspiration to all things Art, Photography, senses and Humanity .... Yee Haa !!

That's about it folks, as usual, I will update and add more Pics and ramblings when my old mind permits ...Ha,Ha. Remember, if you have any doubt or questions regarding any of the Antiques or anything related to this article as a whole, please feel free to message me or better still, give me a Call ... !!Take Care and May Peace be with you All ..... '' HAKUNA MATATA '' !!Regards ..... Uncle James.